Food Boy and Barbie
by StoryOfMyLife975
Summary: Request. Ino is miserable at her new school. She misses all her old friends back in Suna, and she doesn't know how she's going to survive here...that is, until she encounters someone who just might be able to help her through. ChoIno. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm kinda nervous, but excited as well: this is my first ChoIno! So far everything I've written has been ShikaTem, so this should be pretty interesting. Hopefully I can live up to the expectations of Miamay Tsuikia-Kage no Miamay, who requested this. Alright, let's do it!**

**Disclaimer: All named characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**--**

Ino clutched her over-shoulder book bag closer to her, almost using it as a wall between her and…well, the rest. She kept her eyes down, walking quickly, just trying to get to her next class without being noticed. She was going for invisible.

Casting nervous glances around her, she tried not to make eye contact with anyone. She hugged the book bag to her body as she walked by the lockers. She never went to her locker. It was just too risky. Someone giggled meanly as she hurried by. She didn't know who it was, and didn't care to find out. All she wanted to do was get to a place where there was a teacher, where they wouldn't dare harass her.

Ino walked as fast as she could without flat-out running, weaving her slim body through the crowds of loud, obnoxious teenagers. Someone stuck out their foot just as Ino rushed by, and she fell hard, landing on her wrist. She gasped as a jolt of excruciating pain shot through her arm, and she heard raucous laughter from above. Suddenly the bell rang, and the sea of people quickly dissipated, leaving Ino alone on the ground.

--

She walked into the main office, cradling her wrist with her good arm. The secretary glanced up. "Shouldn't you be in class?" she said sharply, looking back down at her paperwork.

"Yes, but--"

"Do you have a teacher's pass?"

"No, but I--"

"You need a pass. Go back to your class and get one from the teacher." The secretary then ignored her, filing through her stack of papers. Ino gaped in disbelief.

"But I think my wrist is broken!" she exclaimed, shocked at the secretary's callousness.

The secretary glared at her over her glasses. She studied Ino for a few long moments, then jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at a door behind her.

"Thank you," Ino murmured. The secretary just grumbled something and went back to her work.

Ino cracked open the door carefully, looking inside. There was a bed by the wall, a sink covered in medical supplies, and a stool in the corner, but no nurse. Ino stepped in, glancing around her. A voice from behind startled her. Ino jumped as she heard, "What do you want?"

She whirled around, wincing in pain from her wrist. The nurse sat there next to the door on another stool, glaring at her.

"Um…I think I broke my wrist," she said hesitantly, hoping beyond hope that the nurse would prove to be nicer than the secretary.

She was wrong. The nurse stood and put her hands on her hips. "How'd that happen?"

"Well, I was--"

"Fooling around in the hallways, hm? Playing with your little friends, you get rough, you fall down the steps or something?"

"No, that's not how it happened!" Ino protested. _I don't have any friends,_ she thought to herself, noticing that the thought didn't affect her much anymore. She was used to it now.

"Oh really? Then what went on?" the nurse asked, shifting her weight to one hip.

"I…I was…" Ino tried to think of a way to tell her without sounding like a snitch or a baby, but in the end she couldn't.

"Just as I thought," the nurse grumbled. "Come on over here so I can wrap it up. You kids are just so reckless, don't have a care in the world, and you always come to me to fix you up after you've gone and hurt yourselves…" Ino tuned out as the nurse ranted on and on, riffling through the drawers. Finally she pulled out an elastic bandage. Ino yelped as the nurse roughly grabbed her wrist, pulling it towards her. The nurse quickly and deftly wrapped the bandage around Ino's wrist, fastening it in place with Velcro attached to the end. "Go back to class," she ordered.

"But…don't you need to call my dad to pick me up?" Ino asked hopefully. "Shouldn't he take me to the hospital for an x-ray or something? You know, just to make sure?"

"No," the nurse said flatly. "You'll be fine for the rest of the school day. Now go to class."

"Please!" Ino pleaded. "I'm really in a lot of pain. Please just let me call him."

The nurse glared for a few moments, then gave an irritated sigh. "Fine," she relented. "If you must. But if you're on the phone for more than five minutes, I'm going to tell the secretary you're skipping."

"Oh, I won't," Ino said happily. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Whatever," the nurse muttered as Ino rushed over to the phone. She dialed her father's cell number, praying that he would pick up. She heard it ring once…twice…three times… Finally, after ringing six times, she heard it pick up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, daddy!"

"_Ino? What…why are you calling? Shouldn't you be in class right now?"_

"Well, yes, but I need you to come get me."

"_Why? What happened, princess?"_

"I broke my wrist." There was a pause. Ino worried he wouldn't come. "It really hurts, daddy. And it's starting to swell. I think it needs a cast."

He sighed. _"Alright. I'm coming. I'll be there in ten minutes."_

Ino almost sobbed with relief. She wouldn't have to suffer through school today. "Great. Make sure you call the office, okay? Otherwise they won't let me leave."

"_Got it. See you in a few."_

"Bye." Ino hung up, feeling happier than she had felt all day. The nurse looked expectantly at her. "He's coming to get me," Ino explained. The nurse just snorted and went back to organizing her supplies.

Ino left the office with her first genuine smile of the week. She started to go back to class…then she decided that since she was leaving in a matter of minutes, it wouldn't matter. Instead, Ino wandered around the hallways for a while, finally hearing the loudspeaker: _"Yamanaka Ino, please come to the main office, Yamanaka Ino."_ If her wrist hadn't been killing her, she would've done a cartwheel.

Her dad was waiting for her at the door. He hugged her when she ran up, holding her arm. They walked out to the car together.

They were on their way to the hospital to get her wrist checked out when Ino said, "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Is it…well…what I mean to say is, do I have to keep going to that school?"

They stopped at a red light. He sighed. "Ino, we've talked about this. I don't understand why you just can't give it a chance."

"_They're _the ones who won't give _me_ a chance!" Ino burst out. "It's awful there! I hate it!"

"Maybe you should stop hating it so much, and you might see that it's better than you think."

"I only hate it because everyone there hates me." Ino crossed her arms.

"Oh, that isn't true," he said, as if she were exaggerating.

"Yes it is! You just don't understand. Nobody likes me. I'm always alone, no one talks to me except to make fun of me," Ino defended, trying desperately to make him see the truth.

"I just can't believe that. Back in your old school you were one of the most popular girls around," he said.

"Yeah, at my _old_ school. Why can't we just go back to Suna, Daddy?" she pleaded.

"You know why, Ino," he said sternly. "We've discussed this many times. It's been almost four months now. You need to move on."

"But I--"

"It's a new town, a new house, a new school…why don't you try and make it a fresh start?" he continued.

"Daddy…" She tried to think of something that would get through to him, something drastic, something… "Daddy, the reason my wrist is broken is because someone tripped me."

"What?"

Ino, encouraged, continued. "I was just trying to get to class, and someone stuck out their foot so I would fall. And after I fell, they all just laughed and didn't even ask whether I was alright. They didn't care. None of them do."

Her father was silent. She felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe he would let her be home-schooled now. Or even go back.

"Ino…" he began.

"Yes?"

"I think you're being paranoid."

Ino felt her heart drop. "Wh…what?"

"You're imagining things. I'm sure that was just an accident," he said. Ino's jaw dropped as she stared in astonishment at her father. He continued, "You always think they're all laughing at you. Teenagers laugh all the time. I'm sure they weren't even thinking about you."

"That's the point, Daddy, nobody even--"

"You think nobody cares, but that's because you won't let them in and give them a chance," he interrupted. "You're holding on to your old friends and your old life. How is anyone supposed to get past _that_?"

Ino was hurt. "You…you really think this is all _my_ fault?" she whispered, searching his face.

"I'm not blaming you, princess," he said gently, "but I'm just saying that maybe it's time you let go. It's holding you back."

Ino turned away from him and looked out the window, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "At least in Suna I had friends who would understand."

"I know you were very close to Temari and her brothers, Ino," he replied, "but sometimes, you just have to learn how to adjust."

Ino didn't say anything. A tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

--

The next day, Ino was in the same place, rushing through hallways, this time to get outside. It was lunchtime, but Ino always ate outside because it was just too lonely in the cafeteria.

_Surrounded by people, but more lonely than when I'm outside,_ Ino thought. _How ironic._

Hurrying past the lockers, she didn't see one of her main tormentors standing there, staring at her. Haruno Sakura watched Ino rush by, and in a split-second decision, decided to follow her outside. Maybe she could have a little fun and put Ino in her place at the same time.

Sakura didn't see a boy watching _her_, wondering what was going on and worrying that it wouldn't be good. He followed.

--

Ino sat down under the oak tree, pulling out her lunchbox. It was nice out here, peaceful and quiet.

_Usually I would be the loudest one in the cafeteria,_ she thought, shaking her head. _But now I'm the biggest outcast they've got._ She took a bite of her apple, fighting back tears.

Ino heard a sound behind her. She stood and turned, and there was Sakura, standing there with her hands on her hips, smirking maliciously. Her bright green eyes were full of bad intentions.

Ino took a step back. "Wh-what do you want?" she asked, willing her voice not to quaver but failing miserably.

Sakura didn't say a word. She just kept coming closer, that frightening smile on her face.

Ino, panicking, backed away faster, and tripped over a thick tree root. She fell backwards, and in seconds Sakura was over her.

Ino closed her eyes as Sakura yanked her up by her collar and wound up a fist. Ino waited for Sakura's fist to smash into her face.

And waited. And waited.

Ino opened her eyes to see Sakura's arm being twisted away from her by a brown-haired boy standing between them. Sakura grunted as she struggled to free herself, but the boy easily held her back.

"Leave her alone," he said in a soft voice, completely calm. He squeezed Sakura's arm for good measure. She yelped and yanked her arm away, glaring resentfully at him, then at Ino.

"This isn't over," she promised, turning and walking quickly away.

The boy turned to Ino to see her staring at him in amazement. "You…you protected me?" He nodded. "But why? I've never done anything for you."

He gave her a small, sad smile. "Because I know what it's like to be on the wrong end of a fist," he said softly. He touched her shoulder, once, gently, then turned to go.

He was almost back inside the building when Ino got her wits back. "Wait!" she shouted, holding out her hand. He turned. "How can I ever thank you enough?"

He looked at her, and for the first time she saw him grin. He shook his head as if she were crazy for wanting to thank him, and went inside.

Ino stood there for a while, wrapping her mind around all that had happened. Eventually the bell rang, and she packed up her lunch and went to class.

--

**A/N: Wow. That **_**was**_** interesting, if I do say so myself. And I do. :) So Ino and Chou-- excuse me, the "mysterious brunette boy" (lolz) finally meet! Gosh, isn't Ino just the most miserable person you ever saw? And Ch-- "mystery guy," what's his deal? And Sakura. What a bitch! (I never liked her much anyway…) I hope that was good enough to grab your attention for the time being, entertain you a bit. I'm going to be writing this one simultaneously with my other new ShikaTem ("So This Is Hell?") so I don't know if I can update every day or anything like that, but I'll try. This is totally going to test my writing skillz; I usually don't do really serious fics. I'm a goof. But I'm ready to see how this will turn out, and I think you are too.**

**Enough talking for now. Love ya! XOXO**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. I was surprised that anyone actually started reading this one. XD I think this story's going to be a short one. It won't take long for me to develop the story, and I've got a good idea nagging at my head for the last part of it, so I want to get there quick. And I think I'll try my hand at some one-shots once I finish this; I've never done one, so it should be interesting. Okay, read now!**

**Disclaimer: We all know that my pitiful brain did NOT come up with these people. **

**--**

When Ino walked reluctantly into homeroom the next morning, she was surprised to see that the kid who basically saved her face the previous day was in there. Funny, she had never noticed that before. Of course, she usually didn't raise her head up enough to actually see the kids in her class. When she had lived in Suna, she had worn her blonde Rapunzel hair up in a ponytail, but now she let it hang in a long curtain around her face. It added another protective wall between her and the rest of the world.

She started to go through her everyday routine of searching for a place to sit, but then the boy saw her and grinned, waving her over. Relieved, she hurried over to the empty desk next to him and sat down.

"Hello there," he said, giving her a warm smile. She blinked rapidly, startled. It had been so long since someone had actually been friendly to her…

She gaped stupidly, then stammered, "Um, h-hi." Then she looked down, letting her spun-gold hair fall over her face.

The boy slightly cocked his head to the side, like a bewildered puppy. "Why do you wear your hair covering your face? You have such beautiful eyes." Astonished, Ino gazed up at him with those impossibly blue eyes, studying him. She was surprised to see that he wasn't hitting on her; he was actually curious. For the first time she got a good look at him. He wasn't gorgeous, but he was cute in a teddy-bear sort of way, with disorderly ginger hair, open, honest brown eyes, and a wide smile that lit up his entire face.

He chuckled, and she realized that she had been openly staring. She felt her cheeks growing hot and made to duck her head again, but he stopped her, saying, "No, don't." He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. _He has such a soft touch…_ Ino thought, looking wide-eyed at him. Nobody had done that since her father, when she was little more than a toddler.

"Now everyone can see those bright eyes," he said cheerfully. "Really, you shouldn't let them go to waste behind your hair. You could probably hypnotize someone with those."

Oh, it was too much kindness for one day. It took a minute or two for Ino to compose herself, but then she asked him something she had wanted to know since the previous day:

"…Wh-what's your name?"

"Hm? Speak up."

Ino forced herself to raise her volume. "I said, what's your name?" she repeated with a little more confidence.

He gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said sincerely, slapping his forehead with his palm. "How could I…jeez, I'm sorry. I'm Chouji. And who are you?"

"Um, I'm Ino," she said.

"Well, Ino, I'm really glad that we found each other," he smiled, saying every word like he meant it.

"You have no idea," Ino murmured. Chouji gave her a questioning look. She tried to explain. "What you did yesterday…you just don't know how much I appreciate that. I meant what I said, too…is there anyway I could ever pay you back?"

Chouji laughed, giving her such a kind look that she felt herself blushing again. "It was payment enough knowing that you were safe for that day," he said. Then he interrupted himself, "Well, there is _one_ thing you could do…" He looked thoughtful.

"Anything," Ino said earnestly.

"Eat lunch with me today."

Ino stared incredulously at him. "That's…that's all?" she said. "_That's_ how I can repay you?"

"Yep." He laughed at the look on her face. She hesitated, and then…

"…Okay. I will," Ino gave in. Chouji grinned and touched her shoulder.

"Great. See you then," he said. The bell rang shrilly, and he quickly left the classroom, throwing a smile over his shoulder.

Ino could still feel his hand, warm on her skin.

--

Later on, Ino stood outside the double doors of the cafeteria for the first time since the first day of school. That time, she had to flee the building because of the imminent tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She fervently hoped that this time would be different.

Opening the door, she stepped in, looking around for Chouji and nervously adjusting the too-large hoodie she had grown accustomed to wearing. Finally she spotted him at a table at the back of the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Ino was at the _front_ of the cafeteria. She didn't know if she was strong enough to walk across the whole cafeteria, in front of the whole school, just to get to Chouji.

Then he smiled.

The warmth from his smile ran through her body, and Ino felt her feet involuntarily stepping forward. Like a moth to the flame, she found herself focusing on his friendly face, not knowing whether the other students were watching her, not particularly caring.

And then, just like that, she was standing at the table, looking down at his bright face. He looked genuinely happy to see her, and he said as much. "Glad you made it," he said, patting the seat next to him. She slid in and put her lunch bag on the table. "I was beginning to wonder whether you would come at all."

"I told you I'd repay you however I could," she said defensively, "so I couldn't just skip out."

"I said I was _beginning_ to wonder, not that I actually doubted you," he argued gently. "I was sure that you'd show up, and if you didn't, well, you probably had a good reason for it."

Ino, embarrassed by her outburst, looked away. Chouji said, "I wasn't blaming you or accusing you of anything, Ino. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Startled by how he knew what she was thinking, Ino looked thoughtfully at him. Then she noticed that they were alone at the table.

"Um, are we the only ones sitting here?" she asked softly, looking around. "I wouldn't have figured you for an outcast."

"Well, if that's what you want to call it, then yeah, I'm an outcast," he laughed. "Personally, I prefer to call myself 'popularity-challenged.' And no, there's one more guy coming. That is, if he can muster enough energy to pull his lazy self all the way here," he said with mock scorn, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks for believing in me, Chouji," a sarcastic voice came from behind them. The person walked around the table and sat opposite the two, resting his face on his hand. His spiky black ponytail strangely resembled a pineapple; and he _did_ look kind of tired, with dark circles under his black eyes and a cynical smirk on his face. "I can get here without your support, thank you very much."

"I can see that," Chouji affirmed. Turning to Ino, he said, "This is Shikamaru. He's the other guy at the outcast table."

"Why are you an outcast?" she asked Shikamaru. "You seem normal enough to me. Both of you do."

"Because I don't do sports," Shikamaru snorted. "Or any physical activity, for that matter."

"He'd rather sleep," Chouji chimed in.

"Right," Shikamaru agreed.

"Or lay around doing nothing."

"Yeah."

"He's basically just a lazy bum," Chouji said cheerfully.

"Alright, that's enough," Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes.

Ino studied them for a moment, then asked, "Why do you both have those little hoop earrings?"

"It's kind of a friend pact sort of thing," Chouji explained.

"I don't know why I let him talk me into it," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Aw, come on, you know you like them," Chouji teased.

"Well, they _do _give me a sort of flair," Shikamaru grinned.

"That's another perk of being friends with us," Chouji said to Ino. "Not only do you get unlimited use of the outcast table, but you also have permission to wear the exact same earrings as we do! So how 'bout it, Ino? Wanna be in our tiny, non-exclusive clique?"

She was quiet, thinking about how much had changed since the day before.

"Of course, you don't have to answer now," Chouji said hurriedly. "No pressure or anything, just an offer. And it doesn't expire."

Ino looked up at them. She envied the way they joked with each other, completely at ease in each other's company. She thought she'd like to be a part of that.

"Sure," she said quietly. "I'd love to be friends with you guys."

Chouji laughed out loud, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Great. Another person I have to talk to," he said with faux resentment. "How troublesome."

"By that he means, welcome to the group," Chouji grinned. "Now that we're officially a trio, let's eat." All three got out their lunches. Shikamaru pulled out a small plastic bag of macaroons.

"My mom knows I don't like macaroons," he complained. "Troublesome woman. Chouji, you want these?"

"Aw, you know I'm not trying not to eat junk food," he protested, taking a bite of his red apple.

"Just take it already," Shikamaru scoffed. "You know you want them."

Chouji frowned. Shikamaru tossed the bag at him. Chouji caught it and, with a sigh, opened it up and took a bite of cookie.

"You're a horrible friend, you know that?" Chouji scolded him, pointing the bitten cookie at his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Shikamaru got up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom." He left the table.

Ino, who had been watching the whole thing, said, "What, are you on a diet or something?"

Chouji smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"But why?" Ino demanded. "You aren't fat. I mean, you're no bigger than Kankurou, and he's not fat at all! Why don't you just eat whatever you want?"

"For the same reason you're wearing that baggy hoodie," Chouji pointed out.

"I'm sure we don't have the same reasons," Ino replied defensively, speaking fast. "When I first came here, I wore fitted clothes just like anybody else. But for some reason those girls hate me, and they started this thing that I was some…_whore_ trying to get everyone's boyfriends." She had to clear her throat to continue, willing her voice not to quaver. "So I killed that as fast as I could. I started wearing these clothes so they wouldn't have a reason to say anything, and since I didn't talk to anyone, they couldn't use my words against me. But they still call me 'Barbie,' and it's not in a good way either." She wiped angrily at her eyes, then laughed sadly. "I have no idea why I just told you all that."

Chouji gave her a sympathetic smile. "Do you at least feel a little better?"

"Actually, yeah, I do." Ino smiled at him. "But you never told me why you're on a diet."

"You go here long enough, you'll know," he said absently. Then he changed the subject. "But who's this Kankurou you were talking about?"

Ino ignored his obvious movement of the topic, and said, "He's one of my friends from back home. Him and his sister and brother are like family to me. I mean, they have their little quirks, but I love them all the same." Ino smiled, reminiscing on some happy past.

"Really? What are they like?" Chouji asked, curious.

"Well, Temari-- she's the oldest-- she's a pretty tough cookie, and she has a wicked punch, but she can be the most caring thing you ever saw. Gaara, the baby of the family, is kind of the silent one. He doesn't speak much, and if he does, it's because he has something important to say. He's not very emotional either, if you want to put it nicely."

"What if you don't put it nicely?"

"His therapist said he's a sociopath, but that would make him crazy, and he's definitely not crazy," Ino defended him. "And Kankurou…well, Kankurou is just the semi-normal one stuck in the middle. By semi-normal I mean that he's just as weird as his siblings, but he actually tries to be normal."

"They sound pretty awesome," Chouji admired.

"Yeah, they are," Ino replied softly.

Just then Shikamaru came back. "Hey, I thought we'd seen the last of you," Chouji joked. "Did you fall into the toilet or something?"

"No, but I did fall asleep on it," he said in all seriousness, sitting back down.

"Are you serious?" Ino asked.

"Do I look serious?" he replied. He did indeed look very serious.

Ino looked at Chouji, who shrugged helplessly. He glanced at the clock. "The bell's about to ring, you guys," he informed them. He looked at Ino. "Same time tomorrow?" he said, grinning.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be here," she said, smiling back at him.

--

**A/N: Whew. I'm tired. The duo becomes the famous trio we all know and love! Of course, I don't think Shikamaru's going to play that big a part in this, but I couldn't help it. I just had to put him in, that sexy beast. Yum. What I wouldn't give just to--**

**WHOA. Okay, that's enough rabid fangirl-ness for tonight. Or today. It's 2:44 am. Why do I find myself doing all my artistic stuff in the wee hours of the morning? Anyway, I'm liking how this is turning out. Chouji's so SENSITIVE and SWEET! Oh, dear god, I'm going to seriously squee soon, and then my parents will think I'm dying or something. Which I am. Dying from the cuteness of it all!**

**Next chapter up as soon as I can get it, guys. **

**Love you! XOXOXO **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, chapter three. Lets do this!**

**Disclaimer: Not my people, yadda yadda yadda.**

**--**

After a month or two of sitting together at lunch, Ino and Chouji had become pretty close. Ino was surprised at how her own outlook had changed so much since the beginning. _I remember how I didn't think I'd make it,_ she thought to herself, _but somehow I did. Because of Chouji. _She giggled quietly. _I never thought I'd actually make friends here. And look at me, I'm spending every spare minute with Chouji and Shikamaru. _Of course, she still missed her old friends, but now that she was in a trio she was much happier than she'd been.

But even though they'd been friends for a while now, Ino hadn't heard anyone make fun of Chouji or anything. Then again, they didn't have classes together, so she only really saw him at lunch and after school. But people were starting to notice that the outcasts had found each other. She heard whispers and snickers when they walked by, but nothing out loud.

Then one day at lunch they were sitting at their usual table, waiting on Shikamaru. Chouji and Ino were just laughing about something or other when two boys walked by. Ino didn't recognize them, but apparently they knew who she and Chouji were. They sniggered, and then one of the boys said, "Oh, look! Barbie's finally got a friend. Never thought I'd see the day." Ino looked down, feeling her face turn red.

"Yeah, me neither," his friend chimed in, playing along. "And look who it is! It's Food Boy! Food Boy and Barbie, together. Seems like a strange combination, doesn't it? I'd figure that Barbie would be friends with someone like Ken, not Food Boy."

"Don't listen to them, Chouji," Ino told him. The two boys ignored her.

"More like Fat Boy," the first boy snickered. They both laughed. "You want your lunch, Fat Boy? I don't think you should eat it. Maybe if you give it to me you might lose some flab." He poked at Chouji's back. Chouji slapped his hand away and glared at him.

"Oh no, Fat Boy's getting angry!" the other friend said with mock terror, throwing up his hands. "Run for your lives, before he causes an earthquake!"

"I think I feel it now! Run!" The two boys left, falling over themselves with laughter. Ino took one look at Chouji and went over to sit next to him.

"They don't know what they're talking about, Chouji," Ino said fiercely. "You're not fat, I swear. Just because you aren't disgustingly muscled like some stupid jock doesn't mean--"

"No, Ino, it's okay," Chouji said wearily, giving her a weak smile. "I know I'm not skinny. You don't have to lie to me."

Ino nearly screamed with exasperation. "No! Why would I lie to you? You're _not fat_!" she said with conviction, enunciating every word. "And I can't believe you've bought into that lie!"

"When someone tells you something for a long time," he replied quietly, "eventually you start to believe it."

"Well, don't!" Ino said desperately. "You don't have to listen to what they say, Chouji. I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever met." On an impulse, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, trying to convey everything she felt with that hug. She felt Chouji momentarily stiffen with shock. She was shocked at herself. Since they met, they hadn't had any physical contact whatsoever. She just hadn't been ready. But she felt that Chouji needed this. "Please believe me," she murmured into his chest. Then, suddenly embarrassed, she let go and quickly sat up. She was mortified. What would he think of her?

Then she heard him chuckle and pull her into another embrace. "Thanks, Ino," he said. She could hear the smile in his voice. "You're pretty amazing yourself."

"What's going on here?" Shikamaru said from above them, a touch of teasing in his voice. "Did I miss the love boat or something?"

"No, you didn't miss anything important," Chouji said, smiling at Ino, "but you can still have a hug if you want…" He held out his arms to Shikamaru, who snorted and walked past him to sit down.

"Tch. I'll pass on the love for today," he said, back to his old self.

--

Later, after school, Chouji and Ino were walking outside together to where the parents picked them up. Shikamaru rode the bus because he said the trip let him sleep longer.

They were almost out of school when Chouji happened to glance at the large bulletin board next to the door. "Hey, look at that!" he said, showing Ino. "Winter Ball is coming up in a couple weeks. It seems kind of early for that, doesn't it?"

"Well, it's November," she pointed out. "We get out of school the end of the year, so it's got to be the first week of December. Are you gonna go?"

"I don't know," he teased. "Were you planning on taking me?"

Ino reddened and shook her head. "No, I don't think I'm going," she said, laughing sheepishly. "Maybe if someone asks me, but I don't think that'll happen."

"Hey, why wouldn't it happen?" Chouji said. "You're a wonderful person. I'm sure someone or another will ask you."

"Thanks," Ino replied, not really convinced. Some emotion twinged in her chest, but she couldn't interpret it.

--

When Ino stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, she noticed that there was an SUV she didn't recognize sitting in the driveway. _That's strange,_ she thought, frowning. _I've never seen that car before. _

Inside the house, she saw a couple of suitcases in the foyer. She didn't recognize those, either. Her father took her hand and led her towards the kitchen. "Ino, I've got a surprise for you," he said, his eyes full of excitement. She hadn't seen him like that in a while.

"What's going on--" she began, stopping abruptly when she saw what-- or who-- was in the kitchen.

Temari and Kankurou stood from their seats at the table, grinning ear to ear. "Hey, Ino," Temari joked, "remember us?" Kankurou chuckled and waved.

Ino was frozen. Then the siblings enveloped her in a warm hug, and suddenly she thawed out and started sobbing uncontrollably. They simply laughed and held her tighter until the tears waned, while her father stood to the side, happy to see her happy.

After the tearful embrace, the three sat down with cookies and sodas and started talking.

"Why didn't Gaara come?" Ino asked.

"You know how he is. It wouldn't have been Gaara-like of him to come," Temari said, laughing. "But personally, I think he just missed you too much."

"I don't get it," Ino said. "If he missed me, then why didn't he come?"

"Well, it was hard enough on us to say goodbye to you the first time. It would be harder to say goodbye a second time, after we leave here."

"What? You're leaving?!" Ino said, alarmed.

"We're just passing through on our way to our aunt's house," Temari explained, shrugging helplessly. "We can't stay more than a couple of days. I'm sorry, Ino, I wish we could stay longer too, but we just can't. Let's make the most of the time we've got."

"So, what's been happening?" Kankurou changed the subject, resting his chin on his hand. Ino told them all about her life since she left Suna, how horrible the school was, how much she missed them. But in between she told them about her new friends, about Chouji, about how wonderful he was and how much he had done for her.

"You seem to like this Chouji kid a lot," Temari said mischievously. "Anything…_happening_ between you two?"

Ino blushed indignantly. "Of course not!" she retaliated. "We're just friends, that's all."

"But you wouldn't happen to want to be _more_ than friends, would you?" Kankurou asked, grinning wickedly. The two laughed as Ino went tomato-red.

"No!" Ino burst out. Then, more quietly, she said, "Besides, he's such a great guy…why would he want to go out with me anyway?" She realized what she'd said and quickly interjected, "I mean, if I actually _wanted_ to. Because I don't--"

"It's okay, Ino, I understand," Temari said, smiling. "Of _course_ you're just friends. But just in case you wanted to make it more than that, I'm sure he would feel the same way. But only hypothetically, of course."

"Yeah," Ino said. "Like that would ever happen." She laughed, and the three went on to speak of more light-hearted matters.

--

It wasn't until later that night when everyone was asleep that Ino thought back on what had been said.

_Maybe they're right,_ Ino thought with growing incredulity. _Maybe…maybe I _do_ feel something for Chouji. Yeah, everything fits. The way I'm always hanging around him…the way I feel when he smiles at me…those warm fuzzies I get whenever he's with me. It explains a lot. _She laughed quietly at her own ignorance, then gasped. _And maybe they're right about Chouji liking me back, too!_ she thought, a ray of hope lighting in her chest. Then it faded as she thought, _But he hasn't given me any reason to suspect it. I mean, when he hugged me this morning, that was purely platonic. And that teasing this afternoon…he was just kidding about me taking him to the dance. He'd probably think I'm crazy if I actually asked him out. And there's no way he would accept, anyway; he's so kind, and thoughtful, and sweet…what do I have that could compare to that? He'd be happier with someone else. Someone better than me._

Suddenly feeling cold, Ino curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

--

**A/N: Aaah! So. A lot happened this chapter, no? Don't worry, Ino will feel better soon. I told you guys this story would be short, and I'm planning on only having a couple more chapters, but they're definitely going to be worth it. Just you wait, I've got some fun coming up! **

**Love you guys! XOXOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sad ending last chapter, right? I know, I didn't like it either, but it was necessary. I'll tell you one thing: the sadness ends here. And my fun starts. I'm so excited!**

**--**

It was the day before the dance. Chouji had noticed that Ino had slowly regressed back to the way she used to be: timid, hesitant, and withdrawn. And to make it worse, she wouldn't speak to him. Sure, she would answer direct questions if necessary, and she still sat with him, but she would not carry on a conversation. She wouldn't even catch his eye.

"Ino, I'm getting a little worried about you," he said, frowning as he sat down beside her in homeroom. "Ever since that day we talked about the dance, you won't even talk to me. What's going on?"

Ino looked away. Chouji exhaled loudly. "See, that's exactly what I mean! You won't even look me in the eye," he said pleadingly. "If there's something wrong, I'm sure we can work it out. Was it something I did?"

Ino suddenly whipped her head around and looked at him so intensely that it startled him. "No!" she protested firmly. "No, you didn't do anything, Chouji. Don't _ever_ think that it's your fault." Chouji flinched at the force of her words.

"Um…does this mean we're okay now?" he asked hesitantly, not exactly sure what her outburst meant. Suddenly her attitude switched from intense to energetically cheerful.

"I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you, Chouji, really I am," Ino said quickly, flashing him a bright smile. "You wanna talk? Okay, I'll start. On that day we talked about the dance, I went home, and you'll never guess who was there. Two of my best friends that I told you about! They were passing through, and I…" She kept talking at high speed and glancing to and away Chouji's face. He was extremely confused, and he observed that even though she seemed much happier, her voice sounded brittle, as if she would break down any moment. Her eyes were unconsciously begging him for something, but he didn't know what.

"Look," he interrupted her ongoing chatter. "I know I'm going to sound silly, but does this have something to do with the dance? You started acting like this on that day, and…"

"Of course not!" Ino assured him, laughing perkily. "Of course not. That would be silly…" She trailed off, looking off into space, her phony smile frozen in place, her eyes sad.

"Ino, are you--"

"I'm fine, Chouji," she said, breaking out of her reverie. "I'm just fine. Don't worry about me, okay? I'm just…I'm just a little stressed, that's all. I'll be fine."

Chouji still looked worried, but he didn't say anything else, and the rest of homeroom was silent.

--

Ino sat in the back of history class, hugging her arms around her stomach and feeling horrible. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she yelled at herself. _You had your chance this morning. Chouji made it easy for you. All you had to do was tell him the truth, and this would all be over with._

She shook her head. _Although you should've told him from the beginning; then he wouldn't even have had to ask you what was wrong this morning. You could have prevented this whole thing, moron, and look what you do: you blow it sky high!_

_Now he probably thinks something's wrong with me, _she thought, feeling hot tears welling behind her eyelids. _He'll never ask me out now. Not even counting the dance, he'll never ask me out anywhere! I feel like this is so petty and childish, but it hurts so much. Temari was wrong. Why would he feel about me the way I feel about him? She meant well, but she just got my hopes up and made things worse. I might as well go ahead and stock up on ice cream today. Because tomorrow night, instead of going to the dance with the best person I've ever met in my life, I'll be having a little pity party right at home. _

_--_

It was after school, and Ino was staying after to study for the tests coming up. She was walking alone to the library because Chouji had gone home sick. Heading for the door, she passed by a row of lockers. She looked around. Nobody was there, so she decided she might as well drop off her stuff and come back after she was done studying.

She unlocked her locker, bent down and picked up her books, and stood back up. Something pink caught her eye. Putting down her things, she reached in and pulled out what turned out to be a pink envelope. Glancing around again, she opened it carefully and took out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and read:

_If you want to be my princess, there are some things you must do to prove your merit. This is the beginning of your quest. If you accept this quest, go to your least favorite class and find the next clue._

Ino looked around a third time, trying to see if there was anybody there at all. No one. She was completely baffled. _I'm sure there's someone lurking around a corner, just waiting to see my reaction. Some joke._ She crept up to the intersection of hallways and jumped out to see around the corner, hoping to scare someone.

The hallways were empty.

Ino looked back down at the note, then gave a short laugh. "How would they know what my least favorite class is anyway?" she muttered. Then Ino got serious. _Am I actually going to buy into this joke and keep going? _she thought, frowning.

After a few moments she said, "I've got the whole afternoon, and there's nothing better to do, is there?" Not to mention she was getting a little curious. So Ino shoved her things in her locker and headed down the hallway towards her least favorite class.

--

Ino arrived in the mathematics classroom. She looked skeptically around the room for another pink envelope. And sure enough, there was one right on her usual seat, at the back of the room. Ino made her way towards the desk and picked up the envelope, wondering what this one would say.

She opened it and pulled out the letter.

_Congratulations on accepting your challenge! You won't be disappointed. Find a place that combines fire and ice and get your next clue._

"Fire and ice?" Ino thought. "What the heck does that mean?" She racked her brain for quick answers, but nothing was coming to her. She sat down and sighed. _Okay, fire and ice. Let's take one at a time. _She rubbed her temple. _Ice. Um…winter. Snow. Cold…freeze? Freezer? Freezer! The kitchen!_ Ino grinned, elated to have made progress. _And fire…the stove! It's genius. _Ino jumped to her feet and walked out of the classroom.

--

Ino rubbed her leg. It was no short walk from math to the cafeteria, and her thigh was complaining. _No matter,_ she thought, opening the freezer. _This thing can't go on for much longer._ But there was nothing in the freezer. Puzzled, she walked over to the stove, searching around the burners. Nothing there either. Ino paused and put her hands on her hips, looking around the room. She had checked both places mentioned in the note, so where could it be?

Scrutinizing the kitchen, she suddenly saw a corner of pink paper sticking out from under a pot. She rushed over and snatched up the envelope.

_Just because the last letter said fire and ice didn't mean this clue would be in either the freezer or the stove._

Ino's eyes widened. How did they know that she would look there? There was no way that these were pre-made. The person had to be writing them along the way. But…how would they have time to do that? Ino shook her head, baffled. Either way, it seemed impossible. She kept reading.

_Learn to think outside the box. Now go through the looking glass to find your next clue._

Through the looking glass…wasn't that a book? Ino trotted to the library.

--

Scanning the shelves, Ino searched for the book the letter quoted. "Capuchin, Caquetá…Carroll!" She pulled out the book by Lewis Carroll and opened it. A pink envelope fell out and floated lightly down to the floor. She opened it.

_You're doing well. Head for the old dryad's home. And hurry, it'll be getting dark soon._

Startled, Ino looked out of the window to see the sun beginning its downward descent. "It's a quarter to six already?!" she exclaimed. "But how…never mind. I'm not even going to worry about how they knew. Now, the old dryad's home…what?"

She thought hard, scrunching up her face. She was sure that a dryad was something in Greek mythology. But what? Think, think, think…of course! Ino slapped her forehead. A dryad was a forest spirit. But there was no forest in the school. And it said "old."

Ino thought some more, then realized that the note spoke of the big old tree that she used to sit under at lunch. It was old, and it would be a dryad's home. She took off for the tree.

--

Ino rubbed her arms and shivered. It _was_ close to sunset, not to mention that it was late November. She squinted up into the sun, shining through the naked boughs. Where could it be?

Then she saw a slip of pink paper hanging on a branch halfway up the tree. Ino exhaled in exasperation. "Are you serious?" she asked rhetorically, shaking her head and resigning herself to the fact that she was going to have to climb the tree. She grabbed a thick branch right above her head and hefted herself up onto it with a grunt. She reached for another, pulling herself up with some difficulty. She yelped as she scratched her stomach on the rough bark. Ino stood up and leaped nimbly to the tree limb that held the elusive envelope.

Breathing hard, she reached down and snatched up the envelope. Holding it in her teeth, she scrambled down the tree. When she landed on the ground, Ino let out a whoosh of air and flopped down on the packed dirt around the tree. She opened up the envelope.

_I'm willing to bet that you aren't cold anymore._

Now that she thought about it, she _wasn't _cold anymore. That climb had her sweating.

_Don't worry, you'll be cooled off soon enough. Go for a swim and continue your quest._

"Go for a swim? What are they talking about?" Then Ino remembered the pool in the gym. She sighed and headed for the gym, a place that no self-respecting loner wants to go.

--

Ino stood next to the pool, looking around for the next envelope. "I don't see it anywhere…oh." She looked up and there it was, sitting on the edge of the diving board. Ino walked around to the ladder and started climbing, pulling herself up hand over hand. Finally she got to the top. Walking out to the edge of the diving board (_This is almost like walking a plank!)_ Ino picked up the pink treasure, careful not to fall off the diving board in the process.

She opened it up.

_Didn't I tell you to go for a swim? Do a swan dive, my princess, and get your next clue._

Confused, she looked down. Sure enough, there was a glint of pink at the bottom of the pool. Ino shook her head and barked a short laugh. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed. Then she saw something written on the back. Would it be her salvation?…

No. It said: _Yes, I'm serious. Now dive for that envelope!_

Ino hesitated, thinking it through. Was it really worth risking pneumonia to find out what was at the end of this ridiculous quest?

Ino bounced off the end of the diving board and executed a perfect swan dive into the water, clothes and all.

She reached for the pink paper, but ran out of air. She rose to the surface, took a giant breath, and dove back in. She kicked hard once and she was there, right in front of it. She grabbed the envelope and went up to the surface again.

Climbing out, Ino sat on the edge of the pool, shivering violently. _That was the stupidest decision I've ever made,_ she thought scornfully. _I don't even have a change of clothes._

Angrily ripping open the pink envelope, she pulled out the note.

_You need something warm and dry to wear. Go find the red locker._

--

"Red locker?" Ino muttered, frowning. "The lockers are all the same color. Gray!"

She looked around the hallway, wondering how long it took for hypothermia to set in. Then she saw a locker with a scrap of paper taped onto it that read, "Red," in giant capital letters. Despite herself, Ino laughed and went over to it, relieved that she wouldn't freeze after all. She opened the locker and saw a mass of velvety-looking fabric. Confused, Ino reached in and pulled the whole thing out.

It was a costume. A princess costume.

And a note: _After you change your wet clothes to something a bit more regal, go outside to the parking lot and climb the hill. _

"There's no way," Ino refused. "I am not doing this." She threw it on the ground and stomped away down the hall.

--

**A/N: Aw, come on Ino, play along! Is it really that humiliating to wear a pretty princess costume? I mean, **_**I'd**_** wear it if there was someone waiting to ask me to the dance. But alas, I'm apparently "too intimidating and unapproachable" for most guys, as my cousin most kindly put it. Whatever. I don't like relationships anyway. My longest one lasted exactly three days. XD I flirt like crazy, but once you make it official it takes all the fun out of it. I just end up feeling smothered and bored out of my mind. I'd rather grope random guys, thank you very much. :3**

**ANYWAY. Is anyone curious about what's going on? ISN'T IT SUCH A GREAT IDEA?! I couldn't wait to start the hunt! I wish someone would send **_**me**_** on some wild goose chase across the school….ah, well. There's no guys who are **_**that **_**romantic and imaginative in real life, am I right? Lolz, sorry guys, but it's true!**

**Love you all! XOXO**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm on a roll! Let's keep going, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE.**

**--**

Ten minutes later, Ino stood on the grassy hill next to the parking lot in the twilight, all decked out in her violet velvet dress (including conical princess cap). She scowled and tramped up the hill, holding the skirts up so they wouldn't trip her. At the top a pink envelope awaited her.

_For a princess, you make a pretty good knight. Your quest is more than halfway over. Under the bushes to the left you'll find a method of transportation. Use it to get home, where your last few clues await you._

"_Please_ let it be a motorcycle," Ino begged, rolling her eyes. She went over to the bushes and separated them with her hands. Lying there were a pair of rollerblades.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Against her better judgment, though, Ino flopped down and strapped them on. She stood up and balanced herself, gathering the dress between her legs so she wouldn't skate over them and crash. "At least I'm a good skater," she muttered, beginning her descent down the hill. For the first few feet she skated gracefully, looking almost ethereal with the deep purple skirts billowing out behind her. Then she hit a tree root and slid on her butt the rest of the way down.

_--_

At first, Ino had been grateful that she lived within walking (or skating) distance of the school. She forgot that her house was at the top of a hill.

Struggling on her skates, Ino finally came over the crest of the hill and almost collapsed. "This had better be good," she grumbled, stomping to the porch of her house. Taped to the front door was a pink envelope. She snatched it off the door and ripped it open, letting out her anger on the letter before she unleashed it on a human being.

_You're doing wonderfully, princess. And you're almost done. Follow the kisses to find your knight in shining armor._

Looking down, Ino saw a chocolate kiss at her feet. She picked it up, unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth, reveling in the taste. It was really good chocolate.

She opened the door and stepped in, looking around. Nobody there. She saw a trail of kisses going down the hallway. She followed them, the whole time watching for a sign of sentient life. She might've been in a deserted house, for all she knew. A thought came to her: _How did this person get in my house?!_

Ino cautiously crept upstairs. There was a kiss on every step and they led down the upstairs hallway. She followed them to the door of her bedroom.

Taking a deep breath, Ino straightened her shoulders and opened the door.

It was empty, save for a pink envelope on the bed. Angry (and more than a little disappointed) Ino trudged over to the bed and opened it.

_If you thought I would be here, I'm sorry to mislead you. This is your last quest: take a shower. And change into something a little more formal. You've got reservations._

Ino gladly followed the instructions. She was sweaty from exertion and absolutely filthy from that roll down the hill. Stripping as she went, Ino headed for the bathroom.

--

After Ino had bathed and dressed herself in a normal black skirt and shimmery blouse (not some costume) she saw one last envelope on the back of the door.

_Isn't it hard to believe how much happened in such a short amount of time? Now, head for the balcony, princess. Congratulations: Your journey is over. _

Ino almost felt faint with relief and anticipation. She hurried for her father's room, which had a balcony.

--

Ino put her hand on the doorknob and turned. The knob slipped out of her sweaty hand, and she wiped it on her skirt, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

She tried again. The knob turned, and the door creaked open…

--

And there stood Chouji, a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in hand, and that sunny smile Ino loved stretched across his face.

--

Ino was frozen. Chuckling softly, Chouji took her arm and gently led her toward the balcony, where there was a table set up for a candlelit dinner for two. "I cooked it myself," he murmured, seating her. He sat across from her, looking a little worried. "If…if you didn't…I mean, if you don't like this whole thing…I'm sorry, I just thought--"

That was when Ino leaped across the table, scattering the table settings everywhere, and tackled Chouji. She put her hands on both sides of his face, looked him in the eyes, and planted a wet one.

--

Later on, after things had calmed down some, and Chouji had answered Ino's questions, he asked one of his own.

"Did you see the chocolate kisses?"

"Of course I did," she answered. "I had to follow them to get here, remember?"

"No! Did you see _inside _the kisses?" he pressed.

As it turned out, Chouji had replaced all the little paper slips bearing the name of the company with his own slips of paper. And on each was something he loved about Ino.

After gathering them all up, Ino excitedly opened each one.

_The way the sun glints off of your hair._

_The way your laugh sounds like golden bubbles._

_The way the blue of your eyes gets deeper when you're worried about me._

_The way you stay fiercely loyal even though I've done nothing to deserve it._

The list went on and on. Ino was stunned at the meticulous care Chouji had taken.

"…Is it too much?" he asked her apprehensively.

She stared at him in shock, then laughed. "You're crazy!" she said, ruffling his hair. "Too much? Too much? Of course it's too much! Why would you do this for me?"

Chouji replied, "Because you're you." He grinned.

"So is this official? You're asking me to the dance?" Ino asked.

"I'm not asking you for anything," he said, sounding offended. "I'm demanding. You're coming with me tomorrow night, whether you like it or not."

"I think I can live with that," Ino laughed, and went for his lips.

--

And at the dance, Food Boy and Barbie outshone every last one of them.

--

**A/N: THE END! Short but sweet, in my opinion. I'm happy. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside Ahh, if only I could find a guy like Chouji! Someone creative and playful and caring and warm…and comfy to lay on…lol. But he'd need to be taller than Chouji. I don't like short guys. I'm short enough for both of us. By the way, I'm doing this because in Spanish we were watching one of those corny videos and the girl was describing her dream boyfriend. Or "mi novio perfecto," if you prefer. Her perfect boyfriend was kinda fugly. Lolz. Oh, btw, that treasure hunt/quest thing actually happened to this girl I met. She really wanted her boyfriend to ask her to the dance, and it happened exactly like this. The only thing that I added was the part about the tree. She even dove into the pool! How crazy and romantic is that? She's in college now, and it happened when she was in ninth grade, but still. It's cool.**

**Now that this is done, I need to go work on my ShikaTem. Read it if you want. But I'm telling you right now, I **_**demand **_**that all of you write a review for this chapter. And a good one. Not just, "omg this was so good I luv it!!1!11!!" No, I want to know what was good, what was bad, what I can improve on…I already know I use too many commas, and I put a lot of spaces between my paragraphs, but it's because I'm claustrophobic. And…it's after midnight and I have to get on the bus in five hours. I hate school. XP**

**But I love you guys. Really. Do you love me?**

**Hugs and kisses! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Ariel (StoryOfMyLife975)**

**8/28/08**


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